Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week

Taylor Sander, a 6-4 sophomore outside hitter for then-No. 2 Brigham Young University, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Men's Division I-II National Player of the Week. Sander used incredible offensive force to lead the Cougars to two victories over then-No. 1 UC Irvine in California. In the first match of the weekend, the California native nailed 17 kills and hit an astounding .727 (career-high) as they swept away the Anteaters. He followed that performance with another 18 kills and a .452 hitting percentage as it took BYU five sets to dispatch of UCI, and knock them down to No. 2 in the latest AVCA Top-15 Coaches Poll. Sander also recorded four service aces in that second match, which was another career-high. The newly ranked No. 1 Cougars begin their home schedule this weekend as they welcome the No. 5 USC Trojans. This is the 19th time a BYU men's volleyball player has been named a Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week, and it's the first for Sander. They are coached by Chris McGown.